Steam-turbine.



c. E. FOWLER.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26.1916.

1,225,424 Patented May 8, 1917.

m 'mmms PETERS cu. PHOTD-LITHll. was me mu 0. c.

CLARENCE E. FOWLER, 0E TOLEDO, 01-110.

STEAM-TURBINE.

Application fiIed July 26, 1916.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CLARENCE own-an, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Chic, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Steant'lurhines; and it do declare the following to be a full, clear, and. exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of his specification.

ln turbine steam engineering it is well understood that in order to utilize the enormous velocities of elastic fluids the rotary members of the engines must attain a relatively high speed. Usually, to obviate the diiliculty of excessive speed of rotation, the steam is caused to lose its pressure in a grad ual manner by causing it to act in series or by successive fractions at gradually decreasing pressures on a number of rigid turbine blades or buckets fixed upon and moving with the rotary member or members. 'lhese modes of operation are attended by difficulties which my invention is designed in a measure to obviate by furnishing a simple means for gradually retarding the velocity of steam flowing through a turbine engine and for thus conserving the energy due to such velocities. More specifically, my invention consists in providing the rotary member of the engine with a series of resilient blades, vanes or buckets which yield to the impact and pressure of the driving steam-jet.

' In the accompanying drawings are shown two examples of illustrative embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 being a side elevation of a turbine engine with part of the side of the casing broken away to show the arrangement of the resilient blades or buckets hereinafter referred to; Fig. 2, a transverse central vertical sectional elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a perspective view of one of said blades or buckets detached; Fig. 4., a side elevation, in section, of a portion of the rim of the rotary member of the engine, enlarged; and Fig. 5, the same, showing an alternative form of blade or bucket and means for attaining its required resiliency.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 is a casing having jour- Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented lillay 9, 11%?17.

Serial No. 111,379.

at equi-di. intervals entirely around the wheel. two series being alike a description of one will suflice for both.

5-5 are thin narrow strips of metal, curved outwardly and bac i one end. A group of these s present instance four,-is between tl walls of the channel t and is clamped edg to edge and in transverse alinement to the bottom of the channel by means of clamp ing-plate 7 and screws 8 as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. These groups of curved resilient strips or fingers form blades or buckets. It is clear that the group of curved fingers 5 may be formed from a single plate, the lingers being left connected at one end but separated, except for a short distance, by thin kerfs or slits, to give the members the requisite flexibility. Extending from side to side of the channel 1, for each of the groups 5, is a thin plate 6 having its ends secured to the side-walls as shown alternatively in Fig. e or as may be desired. The rear edge of the plate lies substantially in the plane of the outer edge of the wheel, the plate being bent inwardly and forwardly so that its forward edge touches or nearly touches and projects slightly forward of the tips of the fingers 5. The rear side of plate 6 and the forward edge of the next succeeding plate 6 form a somewhat constricted passage 10 leading directly to the trough-like pocket formed by the curves in the fingers 5.

Through the peripheral wall of the casing 1 is an opening for the reception of nozzle 11 which is tangentially disposed so that its discharge jet coincides with the openings 10 and the hollows of the members 5. In the base of the casing 1, or elsewhere, as may be desired, is an opening 12 for the escape of the steam.

In the alternative form of blade illustrated in Fig. 5 the bottom of the channel at is provided with a series of closely spaced pockets 13, in each of which is a spring 1 1 tensioned against the inner end of blade 15 projecting radially into and extending across the channel 4 and pivoted as at 16 in the mouth of the pocket 13.

To those skilled in the art there will suggest themselves various other methods of giving the blades or buckets of the rotary member a turbine engine such resiliency that the energy due to the impact and pressure of the steam-jet will in a large measure be absorbed by the action and reaction of the springs. I do not therefore limit my invention to the specific instrumentalities here described for obtaining these advantages.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an elastic fluid turbine, a rotatable wheel, a series of resilient blades or buckets disposed circuintterentially of said wheel, a corresponding series of deflecting plates secured to said wheel and which overhang said blades or buckets, and a tangentially disposed nozzle arranged to deliver a jet between the successive pairs of said plates and into the path of said blades or buckets.

2. In a turbine, a rotatable wheel having in its periphery a circumferential channel, a series of buckets or blades mounted in and across said channel and capable of elastically yielding in the direction of the rotation of the Wheel, and a nozzle for directing a steam jet into said channel and successively against said buckets or blades.

3. In a turbine, a Wheel, a plurality of circumferential rows of resilient buckets or blades upon the rim of the wheel, corresponding rows of deflecting plates mounted upon the rim of the wheel in operative relation to said buckets or blades, and means for delivering a jet of steam between successive pairs of deflecting plates and against said buckets or blades.

at. In a turbine, in combination with a rotatable wheel, a bucket or blade comprising a plurality of thin curved resilient fingers, and means for securing said fingers in operative position upon the rim of the wheel.

5. In a turbine, a rotatable wheel having in its periphery a channel, in said channel a series of blades or buckets comprising, respectively, a plurality of thin resilient fingers secured at one end to the bottom of the channel, the free ends of the fingers being bent backwardly, a like series of deflecting plates secured in and across said channel and overhanging the free ends of said fingers, and a nozzle which discharges between the successive pairs of deflecting plates.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE E. FOWLER. Witnesses:

C. N. PRATT,

GERTRUDE Bnaonnu.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. (2. 

